Time and Tide
by GuidexYouxHome
Summary: [Plague Dogs] They'd finally found that island. [A look into Rowf's mind in the last scene of the movie] oneshot.


_When I reach the end, I know I've found a friend._

The thick mist that hung over the ocean that day was nearly impossible to see through, and a dog's eyes aren't his best sense. Rowf had learned to rely on his ears and his nose, but now thick salt clogged the air, and the only sound was the painful splashing of the water as they paddled relentlessly onward. He was lost, and he was only now admitting it to himself. This was like all of those times those humans had made him swim in the tank until he passed out from exhaustion. Only this time, they were in the middle of the ocean, and Rowf knew there would be no one to pull him out of the water's icy grasp once his consciousness had escaped him.

His amber eyes darted to his left, where Snitter was paddling shakily at his side. The poor terrier looked worse off than he did. Rowf sighed softly. They couldn't go on like this much longer.

How did it ever come to this? He'd always been a good dog, he'd done nothing wrong. Those humans at…at that _place_ had tortured him for no reason at all. They'd done horrible tests and stuck needles all over him, and poor Snitter had been treated even worse. That scarred gash in his head was a painful reminder of the operation those men had tried to perform on him, and he'd never been the same since.

It made Rowf angry. Those humans…what right did they have to do that? Snitter had said that not all humans were bad, that his master had once treated him with kindness. There had been a time, not so long ago, that Rowf had been foolish enough to believe him. But ever since they'd escaped that dreaded place, all humans had ever done was chase them, hunt them, hurt them! Yes, life had not been kind to the black lab mix. Sometimes he thought ending it all wouldn't have been such a cruel fate. And now, it seemed that that just might happen.

But maybe not. Snitter had spoke of an island. If they reached it…maybe they could finally be free. Run along the sandy shores, chasing the gulls, with no humans to harm them. Peace…

_Time and tide are flowing over me,_

_I once was blind but now I see, the answer lies within your heart._

"It isn't far, is it?" Rowf asked.

"Not very far, Rowf." Snitter reassured him, but the terrier sounded tired and failing.

"I can't see anything in front of us." Rowf added dismally, narrowing his eyes through the mist. It was a simple statement, but meant a lot. It was his way of admitting his doubts.

Silence rang uncomfortably as Snitter took this in, panting desperately—painfully. Finally, he said, "I'm getting… tired…can't seem to…feel my legs…anymore."

Rowf blinked. He couldn't let Snitter fail, not now. "Keep going…" He answered softly. "Try. [iTry[/i, Snitter, it can't be far. We must be near the island." He seemed to be trying to convince himself as well as his companion.

_Memories are only of the past,_

_The present time can never last,_

_The future lies within your heart._

Silence.

"There isn't any island, Rowf." Snitter admitted desperately.

Rowf didn't look at him. He realized, now. Snitter had lied about seeing an island, because he had known that dieing out here with each other in silence would have been better than being shot by those wretched humans. And Snitter had gotten Rowf to face is fears of the water. Snitter, always optimistic, always insisting that they'd find a happy ending, always keeping them going, he had taken care of Rowf more than the black dog had known, and he was only realizing it now. And now, Snitter was scared. Rowf realized that he was scared, too. But maybe there wasn't anything to be scared of any more. Maybe there was still one way to find peace and happiness, and to be with his best friend for always.

And so Rowf turned forward, paddling desperately. He saw it, then. Their last hope. That which represented peace, an end to all the utter misery that they'd endured. It was time to go home. "Yes there is," He whispered quietly. "I can see it. Our island." And now, it seemed, the roles were reversed, and Rowf was the optimistic one.

And they swam ahead, together, through the mist. Slowly, surely, the sounds of the paddling faded, and Rowf felt the sweet, blissful darkness, that end of all pain, and he knew that Snitter was beside him. They could be happy now.

They'd finally found that island.

_I don't feel no pain no more._

_I don't feel no pain no more._

_I've left this cruel world behind._

_I've found my peace of mind._

_I don't feel …no pain no more._


End file.
